Corruption charges: Court issues travel ban on Taposh

A court in Dhaka today issued a travel ban against Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, and his wife Shirin Taposh, in connection with corruption charges against them.

Justice Mr. Zakir Hossain of the Court of the Special Metropolitan Superior Judge in Dhaka gave the order after the Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Monirul Islam, filed an application in this regard.

ACC prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir moved the application on behalf of the anti-graft body.

In the plea, the ACC official said that Taposh collected huge amount of money through corruption and irregularities. He also said he learned from a reliable source that the couple could leave the country at any time.

So an order is needed to prevent them from going abroad, the official said in his application.

Earlier on October 24, the ACC had summoned Taposh for questioning on allegations of acquiring wealth worth millions of taka through irregularities and corruption.

The ACC sent a letter to Taposh’s residence in Banani in Dhaka, asking him to report on November 3. According to the letter, Taposh is accused of amassing a significant amount of unexplained wealth through illegal means. In order to ensure a thorough investigation, it is essential to hear and collect his statement in this regard.

The letter also said that he was asked to report to the ACC headquarters in Dhaka at around 11:00 am on November 3 to make his statement.

It said: “If you fail to appear and make your statement at the appointed time, you shall be deemed to have no statement to the said charges.”

But he skipped the appearance.

Sources indicate that Taposh fled the country on August 3, just two days before the Awami League government fell on August 5 amid a mass uprising, and that he traveled alone.